Postdoctoral Research Associate

Working at Durham University  

A globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a warm and friendly place to work, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other.

As one of the UK’s leading universities, Durham is an incredible place to define your career.The University is located within a beautiful historic city, home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and surrounded by stunning countryside. Our talented scholars and researchers from around the world are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives.  

We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things in the world. Being a part of Durham is about more than just the success of the University, it’s also about contributing to the success of the city, county and community.

Our University Strategy is built on three pillars of research, education and wider student experience, but also on our keen sense of community and of inspiring others to achieve their potential. 

Our Purpose and Values

We want our University to be a place where people can be free to be themselves, no matter what their identity or background. Together, we celebrate difference, value one another and are each responsible for creating an inclusive community that is respectful and fair for all.

Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Durham? information page.   

The Role and Department

Dynamic and vibrant, Durham University Business School is one of Durham University’s four Faculties. The Department of Management and Marketing is the biggest of four research-intensive departments. The School currently has 180 academic and teaching staff, with plans and resource commitments to grow to 230 by 2027.

The successful candidate will join the Centre for Strategy, Technological Innovation, and Operations (CSTIO), see https://www.durham.ac.uk/business/research/centres/centre-for-strategy-technological-innovation-and-operations/ STIO is a multidisciplinary research centre that aims to be a global leader in developing and disseminating knowledge in the areas of strategy, technology and innovation, and operations management. The centre develops cutting-edge research and applications to support industrial scientific advances and policy-making to benefit business, the economy, and society.

Applications are invited for a 12-month post-doctoral research associate (PDRA) position within the Business School’s Centre for Strategy, Technological Innovation, and Operations (CSTIO). The majority of the work will be undertaken within the Department of Management and Marketing and CSTIO under the supervision of CSTIO’s Director, Professor Lenos Trigeorgis. The PDRA will work with Professor Trigeorgis, the Centre’s co-directors, and other members of the centre on a research agenda of mutual interest. This may involve work on strategy, innovation, data and technology, and/or operations management.

The PDRA should have completed a Ph.D. in Management, Business or related functional area coherent with the research conducted within the Centre, namely strategy, innovation, data and technology management, or operations management. The PDRA will play a pivotal role in advancing research initiatives at CSTIO at Durham University Business School. Collaborating with faculty members of CSTIO, the successful candidate will engage in research projects within specific focus areas leading to the preparation and submission of funding proposals, conference papers, and journal publications.

In addition to contributing to cutting-edge research, the successful candidate should be able to manage and organize large volumes of data to the highest professional and ethical standards. We envisage that the candidate will also contribute to updating the website of the CSTIO and overseeing its associated computing infrastructure. The candidate will also be expected to actively plan and coordinate various events and activities for the CSTIO research community and stakeholders. A key aspect of this position is the commitment to the professional development of the successful candidate, who will benefit from engaging with multidisciplinary areas of expertise, flexibility in research project involvement, and receive mentorship from the accomplished members of the CSTIO.

This post is fixed term for 12 months as the funding is available for this period only. The project is internally funded. The applicant will be involved in helping to write further funding applications to continue the research in this area.

Key responsibilities

·     Collaborate with faculty members of the CSTIO on research projects of mutual interest leading to funding proposals, conference papers, and journal publications.

·         Assist in the preparation and submission of funding proposals for research projects.

·         Manage and organize data, ensuring integrity and compliance with professional and ethical standards.

·         Oversee the computing infrastructure and website of the CSTIO.

·         Plan and coordinate the various events and activities organized by the CSTIO.

• Liaise with colleagues and develop relationships for future research collaboration.
• Plan and manage own research activity and contribute to the planning of research projects.
• Deliver training in research techniques/approaches to peers, visitors and students as appropriate.
• Contribute to fostering a collegial and respectful working environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect.
• Engage in wider citizenship to support CSTIO, the department of Management and Marketing, and the wider discipline.
• To understand and convey material of a specialist or highly technical nature to the team or group of people through presentations and discussions that leads to the presentation of research papers in conferences and publications.
• To prepare and deliver presentations on research outputs/activities to audiences which may include: research sponsors, academic and non-academic audiences.
• To publish high quality outputs, including papers for submission to peer reviewed journals and papers for presentation at conferences and workshops under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.
• To assist with the development of research objectives and proposals.
• To conduct individual and collaborative research projects under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.
• To work with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and other colleagues in the research group, as appropriate, to identify areas for research, develop new research methods and extend the research portfolio.
• To deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines by discussing with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and offering creative or innovative solutions.
• To plan and manage own research activity, research resources in collaboration with others and contribute to the planning of research projects.
• To be involved in student supervision, as appropriate, and assist with the assessment of the knowledge of students.
• To engage in continuing professional development by participation in the undergraduate or postgraduate teaching programmes or by membership of departmental committees, etc. and by attending relevant training and development courses.   

The post-holder is employed to work on research and other support duties for the Center for Strategy, Technological Innovation, and Operations, and the Department of Management at Durham University Business School. Whilst this means that the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in his/her own right, the expectation is that they will contribute to the advancement of the proposed work through the development of their own research ideas/adaptation and development of research protocols.

Successful applicants will, ideally, be in post by February or March 2024.

Working at Durham 

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits: 

•    30 Days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year – a total of 42 days per year.  
•    The University closes between Christmas and New Year – please include or delete if not applicable. 
•    We offer a generous pension scheme, As a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled  into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).
•    No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered.  We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies.
•    There is a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally.  There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University.  All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities. 
•    Lots of support for health and wellbeing including discounted membership for our state of the art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.
•    On site nursery is available and children’s clubs in the summer holidays.
•    Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).
•    The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community
•    Discounts are available via our benefits portal including; money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema and days out at various attractions. 
•    A salary sacrifice scheme is also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits. 
•    If you are moving to Durham, we can help with removal costs and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools.  If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas.

Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion

Equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key component of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do.  We also live by our Purpose and Values  and our Staff Code of Conduct.   At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. It’s important to us that all colleagues undertake activities that are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI. 

We welcome and encourage applications from those who are currently under-represented in our work force, including people with disabilities and from racially minoritised ethnic groups.

If you have taken a career break or periods of leave that may have impacted on the volume and recency of your research outputs and other activities, such as maternity, adoption or parental leave, you may wish to disclose this in your application. The selection committee will take this into account when evaluating your application.

The University has been awarded the Disability Confident Employer status. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role. 

Contact Information 

Department contact for academic-related enquiries 

For academic-related inquiries about the post please contact the Director of CSTIO, Professor Lenos Trigeorgis at [email protected]

Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application 

If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email.  Please send your name along with a brief description of the problem you’re experiencing to [email protected]  

Alternatively, you may call 0191 334 6801 from the UK, or +44 191 334 6801 from outside the UK. This number operates during the hours of 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday, UK time.  We will normally respond within one working day (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays).  

University contact for general queries about the recruitment process 

[email protected]  

How to Apply  

To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification below. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria.  

While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.  

Submitting your application 

We prefer to receive applications online.   We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates.

What to Submit 

All applicants are asked to submit: 

• a CV and cover letter which details your experience, skills, and achievements in meeting the criteria and key responsibilities set out herein.
• In your cover letter please outline any experience with grant funding and funded projects, managing data and computer infrastructure, or organizing public activities. 
• Two research outputs demonstrating methodological skills and research interests.

Next Steps 

Short-listed candidates will be invited to the University, either virtually or in-person and will have the opportunity to meet key members of the CSTIO and the Department.  We anticipate that the assessments and interviews will take place over two days in or around end of January 2024 or early February 2024. 

In the event that you are unable to attend in person on the date offered, it may not be possible to offer you an interview on an alternative date. 

Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement https://www.durham.ac.uk/about-us/governance/information-governance/privacy-notices/privacy-notices/job-applicants/ which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.   

When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.

Person Specification 

Essential Criteria:

Qualifications

Experience

Skills

Desirable Criteria 

Experience

Skills